Prince George fighter selected for Team Canada

Hartgerink has been involved in MMA since he was four years old, and has been practicing Muay Thai specifically for the last five years. Heading into the World Festival, he says he’s been more locked in than ever as he hopes to put his best foot forward to represent Prince George and our country.

“My main reason is just to make my mom proud, you know? Just keep going, she put me through it, just got to make her proud, go to the big stage, give it my all,” he said, speaking on what keeps him motivated.

“Muay Thai is pain, but I embrace it, it’s how you get stronger. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and that’s kind of my motto that I live by,” he added, when speaking on how he keeps grinding through practicing despite pain.

Making it onto Team Canada is the result of years of training, and while it’s certainly an incredible achievement and something Hartgerink is incredibly excited for, he hopes it’s just the first of many international fights.

“I’ve always wanted to go to the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), I’ve always wanted to compete on the world stage. This is a good step, so I’m getting there, but competing at the highest level is the main goal. Just build myself up, building up my legacy,” Hartgerink said.

Hartgerink is also a coach at Kaiten MMA, and his students say it’s an incredible opportunity to learn from one of the country’s best.

“There’s really nothing to compare it to when you’re taught at that kind of level, because you know that whatever he’s teaching you, he’s tried before, he’s perfected that before, and he knows that that is a technique that works,” said one of his students Ashley Provencher.

“He motivates us, we’re all pleased to have him here as a coach. He pushes us to the next limit. He’s very knowledgeable, so we’re looking forward for him to bring back all that experience,” said Batou, another of his students.

“We’re so proud, especially for such a small town, right? We’re really proud to have him represent us over there in the big stage,” he continued.

As a member of Team Canada, Hartgerink’s ability and talent speaks for itself, but both students add he’s a fantastic coach not just for his skill, but his ability to teach.

“If your punches are a little bit wild or your kicks are a little bit messy, he shows you in a slow fashion, which is actually really, really difficult to do. But he has patience, and that’s one of the most important things, especially in this type of industry or in this type of setting, is to have patience,” Provencher said.

No official calendar is out yet for Hartgerink’s fights, but he says he will be involved in one fight a day for the four-day festival.

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by Tommy Osborne

Prince George fighter selected for Team Canada

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